The Sprout
Very subdued bonfire night coming up – but keep your pets inside!
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 152 November 2020
The Sprout
Issue 152, November 2020
Contents
3 Better Botley, Better Planet
11 Our Not-So-Silent Cinema
15 New Head for Botley School
20 Pull-out COVID-help poster
22 Remembrance Day notice
23 Summer into Autumn
25 About the Library
27 Street Tag
29 Memory Club Re-opens
31 More About Sewage
37 Randoms
39 Local organizations
SINCE GOING TO PRESS, A SECOND LOCKDOWN HAS BEEN
DECLARED, MAKING MOST OF WHAT’S HERE LIKELY TO BE
CANCELLED. DECEMBER SPROUT WILL BE ONLINE ONLY.
From the Editor
Despite the sad weather, and the clocks going back, the November
Sprout brings good news. The Library is reopening at last, and this is
marked by a brief account of some of its history (p.25). If anyone
would like to fill in the gaps, please send ideas to
editor@thesprout.org.uk. Botley School’s got a new Head, who
introduces herself on page 15. Welcome to Botley, Mrs Jo Reid! The
Parish Council is rolling up its sleeves ready to join the fight to save
the planet (p.3). There’s also reassuring news for those of us looking
for a safe night out at the pictures (p.11), and Kennington Memory
Club is back in action, extending a hand to people suffering from
dementia (p.29). The County Council has come up with a fun way to
get out and about with the kids (p.27) and Mace have seen sense and
removed the evening parking fees at the shopping centre (p.37). Then
there’s a hefty article about sewage for us to get our teeth into (p.31)!
It may not be our first choice for bedside reading, but we need to get
informed if we want our once-sparkling rivers back in good shape.
The cover reminds us of Bonfire Nights past. They will be back – with
a bang but not this year! The Remembrance Day service at the
Commonwealth War Graves in Botley Cemetery will be for invitees
only this year, but there will be the Last Post and two minutes’ silence
in the new shopping centre at 11am on 11th November.
Ag MacKeith
Better Botley – better planet:
what can we really do?
On October 15th North Hinksey Parish Council agreed on a ‘Climate
and Nature Emergency Action Plan’. This sets out how we will deliver on
the commitments we made last year to work to protect and improve
local green spaces, and take action on climate change in line with our
Climate Emergency Policy. We want to help make our community
carbon-neutral by 2030.
It’s easy to say ‘what impact can a parish council really have on global
environmental issues?’. It’s certainly easier to say that than it is to
actually do something. It‘s true that we are a small organisation with
limited powers (as we acknowledge in the plan). That makes it even
more important that we use the power we have wisely. The new plan
commits us to act in three ways for our climate and nature, on:
The Council’s own activities
The Council’s responsibilities
Encouraging and enabling community and individuals to act.
You can find the Parish Council’s Climate Action Plan at the top of this
web page: https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk/committees/environment-
well being-committee/
Nature and green spaces
We have responsibility for various green spaces including the
allotments, nature reserve, etc. We will review these to see how they
can best be managed to enhance nature. This may involve actions as
simple as changing when we mow. As a first step we will hold a
discussion between the Parish Environment & Wellbeing, Allotments,
and Recreation & Amenities committees. We will invite local experts
and relevant organisations to feed in ideas and suggestions for actions.
We will also be looking at other green spaces around the parish. Can
these be better looked after so as to benefit wildlife. Are there places we
could plant more trees? Is there space for more food growing? How do
you think we can improve our natural environment?
Land is, of course, in high demand in Botley, with new developments
proposed every month. Our powers to influence planning proposals are
limited (and may be cut even further by proposed law changes) but we
will require that all new developments demonstrate a ‘net biodiversity
gain’; in plain English that means new green spaces, more trees planted
3
than those cut down, and proper maintenance of those new spaces.
We will also be asking that the Vale District Council, as the planning
authority, seeks the highest standards in new buildings.
There are other actions we can take. We will look at how our own lands
are managed, and support the ambition to double tree cover across
Oxfordshire by 2045. We are already talking with Thames Water and the
Environment Agency about ending sewage pollution in the Seacourt
Stream.
We certainly cannot do all this on our own. We will be encouraging
action by community groups and individuals the tree planting (see
below) planned for December will be a first step in this direction. We’ll
produce a guide to what you can do and how you can get involved in
making our parish an even better place to live.
Action on the climate emergency
The health emergency of Covid-19 may have distracted our attention
from the climate emergency, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone away.
Urgent action is needed at every level from the United Nations,
governments and big business right down to street level. As a council
we have committed to help our community become carbon-neutral by
2030. We are producing some guidance and information how everyone
can play a part, and we will follow up the 2020 Green Day last February
with a meeting on ‘Climate Action’. We will be looking to reduce our
4
own ‘climate footprint’ as a Council (just as District and County Councils
are doing) this will include saving energy. We are looking forward to
implementing the new Guidance for Parish Councils when it is
published. To the fullest of our limited powers, we will ensure that all
new developments are sustainable, and take account of the climate
implications of our own decisions. We will promote ‘zero carbon homes’
as a target and support the Oxfordshire Zero Carbon Homes initiative.
We will also speak up for climate action. Decisions on major new
developments are largely made by local authorities, the Growth Board,
or by national government. Too many of these decisions will needlessly
increase carbon emissions. We will use our voice wherever we can and
work with others as appropriate to oppose environmentally damaging
developments, and encourage sustainable alternatives instead. We will
actively support plans for renewable energy unless there are very clear
reasons not to. We recognise that the UK needs to rapidly increase the
amount of renewable energy it generates.
We will encourage safe accessible walking and cycle routes, along with
safe cycle parking spaces, in all significant planning proposals for our
area. Parts of our parish are badly affected by air pollution (some of the
worst problems in south-east England) from the A34. We will work with
relevant agencies to tackle this problem and support local activities that
minimise the impact, especially around the local primary schools.
There’s more in the Plan you can read it on the NHPC website
(https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk). But the thousands of people who live
in North Hinksey and Botley can together have a much greater impact
than the parish council. We recognise that people can often be
uncertain about what they can do to reduce their own carbon footprint.
So we will work with other local bodies to produce an impartial guide
that provides information on practical action and lists accredited local
businesses that offer energy and clean transport services, eco-friendly
5
retailers, green builders and landscape companies, etc. So, watch this
space and look out for our on-line meeting on local action. There are
two ways in which you can get involved right away!
Investing in a greener home
The costs of energy saving measures, such as installing solar panels or
other new equipment, like heat pumps, can be much lower if people co-
operate and material is bought in bulk. Now is a good time to be
planning improvements the government’s ‘Green Grant Scheme
(https://www.gov.uk/ guidance/apply-for-the-green-homes-grant-scheme)
offers homeowners cash support. If you are thinking about investing to
cut your fuel bills, send us an email. North Hinksey Parish Council are
exploring ways to help make this happen on a bigger scale. This is still
in its early stages, and there will be no obligation to be part of any
purchase if it happens. We are simply keen to know if there is interest in
a scheme like this. Contact us on environment@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
National Tree Week – come along and plant some trees!
We are pleased to announce that there will be two community tree
planting days in North Hinksey and Botley
during Tree Week, which runs from
November 26–December 6. Local planting
will take place over the weekend of 5th and
6th December, at Oxford Rugby Club (out
beyond the Fishes pub in North Hinksey
Village) and at Wytham View, Tilbury Fields.
Exact times are still being finalised look
for local publicity or check the Parish
Council website or next month’s Sprout.
Everyone is welcome we’ll aim to plant
around 500 trees. These will be small ‘whips’ young trees about 1m
tall. If you’ve not done this before, it’s easy and satisfying and we’ll
give full guidance. Covid-19 issues mean we must make sure that
planting is done in a ‘socially distanced’ and safe manner, so bring
along your your own spades and gloves. We are grateful to the Rugby
Club for their support. If you’ve got ideas for other land where tree
planting could take place, please do get in touch via the parish council
email (environment@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk)
Chris Church, Chair, NHPC Environment and Wellbeing Committee
6
Our Not-so-Silent Cinema
Jinxed, or what? Just as I sat down to write about local independent
cinema, The Phoenix Picturehouse in town announced its temporary but
indefinite closure. All is not lost, however. The Ultimate Picture Palace,
towards the Plain end of the Cowley Road, continues to function, albeit
in reduced format. The Ultimate established in 1911 and Grade ll
listed since 1994 is one of Oxford's own national treasures. As its
declared ethos is prioritising independent releases, foreign-language
films and classics, the Ultimate is less affected by the more commercial
factors (e.g., blockbuster films) that are having such a drastic effect on
other cinemas.
So can we as film lovers feel safe there, in the current climate? Can we
sit back and enjoy the show? Here's what the UPP Management say:
“We've set up an allocated seating system which allows for social
distancing, we've installed hand-sanitiser stations and Perspex screens
throughout the venue, we've altered the bathrooms to accommodate a
one-in-one-out policy, and our cleaning regimes include sanitisation of
the auditorium between screenings. We also have an air flow system
which pumps fresh air throughout screenings and provides extra
ventilation. We are a small and adaptable team, so while it took a lot of
work and effort to put the new safety measures into place, the whole
team has taken to the new system with relative ease.”
7
We went along to see for ourselves a few weeks ago, and were
reassured. Pre-booking is advised, and you are allocated specific seats
no wandering in and choosing once inside. The cinema, capacity
about 100, under Covid is restricting capacity to 25; viewers sit only with
their own partner or small group, and every second row is kept empty.
As viewers, we felt slightly weird … all that space around us but very
relaxed and comfortable.
So, the obvious question: How can it be economic to continue? The
Management again: “With some of our audience perhaps cautious
about returning to the cinema during evenings and weekends when
screenings usually are busier, we wanted to provide a chance for
people to attend screenings which would have smaller audience
numbers. So we are scheduling extra screenings in the daytime.”
Because of the extra daytime showings, the UPP advertised for
volunteer ushers, and was heartened by the response. As one volunteer
put it, “Everyone there is there because they want to help, and keep the
cinema open for everyone to come and enjoy themselves.”
Encouraged by the safe and secure experience we had, we've booked
to see some more films at The Ultimate. It's refreshing to get out of the
house and enjoy an alternative to YouTube and the television,
particularly when we're all feeling cornered by this miserable virus.
Here's a final message from the Ultimate Staff themselves: “We think
that one upside of this pandemic will be that people will realise how
important arts and cultural venues especially independent ones are
and how much they need support to continue.” You can book your
seats at www.uppcinema.com
Ruth Cameron
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8
A new head for Botley School
This is my first term leading Botley School and I have had a wonderful
welcome from all the staff, pupils and parents. It really is such a vibrant
and positive school community to work in and become a part of. I have
particularly enjoyed meeting and welcoming our families at the gates,
greeting everyone in the morning and getting to know our families. I am
also looking forward to a time when I can get to introduce myself to our
wider community as well and invite back our regular army of brilliant
Botley volunteers who help our school to thrive.
Every school year we look forward to the exciting challenges ahead,
and this year the sense of newness and challenge is definitely a fixture
as we try to ensure our school is Covid19-safe and our pupils are
accessing a broad and exciting curriculum.
Whilst we work in our class ‘bubbles’, the main challenge is in how we
bring our school community together. We have been working hard on
utilising our new Microsoft Technology to hold assemblies, join other
classes for story times and find ways to come together. As well as
general school events, so far this term we have helped to raise funds for
Macmillan Cancer charity by holding a virtual coffee morning. We all
stopped at 11:00 and had a piece
of cake whilst talking to each other
using Teams. It was such fun to
see everyone all together again!
To mark the harvest season, we
collected for Asylum Welcome
once again, and each class
created a video or presentation
based on harvest around the
world; once again using the
brilliant TEAMs technology to
share our assembly contributions
with the rest of the school.
The newest members of our
school community, our Reception
children, have settled well into
Botley School and are thoroughly
enjoying exploring their new
classroom and making lots of
9
friends. This term their topic has been focussing on ‘Superheroes’
where they started by
discussing what they know
about superheroes. In PE they
took on the role of a superhero
and responded to different
pieces of music in various ways
always ending in a superhero
pose! They also had a visit from
Mr Freeze who had frozen
some of their toys so they had
to work together to release
them. They described the
various ways they could release
them and how heat could help
to melt the ice. They were overjoyed when their toys were released.
(There are the toys in a tray of ice!)
The topic then focussed on real-life superheroes and the children learnt
there are so many heroes around us. They started to learn about
doctors and nurses and have been learning about their bodies and how
to look after themselves through eating healthy foods, brushing their
teeth and leading a healthy
lifestyle. They set up a doctor
role-play area which has
been great fun. Luckily, we
now have plenty of doctors
and nurses when we are
feeling a little poorly or have
broken a bone (Seen at work
in the photo)!
Our Reception children are
also helping us to put
together a virtual tour of their
learning environment so that we can show families of children due to
start in Reception in September 2021 what our wonderful provision is
like. We will also be using new technology to organise two open events
after half term, including a presentation by our Early Years Lead, Mrs
Jones, and a chance to ask questions. Adverts will be going out shortly
and we will be setting up a special page on our website for the 2021
10
September new starters, so please keep your eyes peeled for further
information.
As I write this, we head towards the half term in October, we are waiting
to find out whether restrictions will become stricter for the country and
our local area. Whatever happens, Botley School is dedicated to
ensuring the best possible provision for our families over the next few
challenging months. In the meantime, I wish all our families and the
community well and look forward to working with you all again as soon
as possible.
Mrs Jo Reid, Headteacher, Botley School.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11
Remembrance Day Service
This year’s service at the Commonwealth War Graves on
Sunday 8th November is unfortunately limited to just 30
invited guests due to COVID restrictions. The whole
cemetery will be closed with gates locked (by the City
Council) between 10am and 12:30pm on the day.
The service can be followed live on Radio Cherwell. We
also plan to film and live stream the service online, check
the Parish Council website for details:
https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
In Botley Square in the new West Way Centre we will
remember the end of the First World War as the Last Post is
sounded at 11am on Wednesday 11th November, followed
by a two-minute silence. All are welcome to attend,
following current rules on social distancing, etc.
12
Summer into Autumn
Dan Ferrett has lived in North Hinksey since 2003. He has been a
coppersmith, a cleaner, a careers information officer, a university
lecturer, an early years practitioner and has moved books around the
Bodleian. He sent this poem inspired by the changing seasons.
Light shining through trees, broken by branches,
Rainbow colours upon a spiders thread,
Blackberries plump, as kids go back to school
Freshly fallen acorns carpet the earth.
Big raindrops puncture the green canopy
Two people running, one stops to catch breath
Traversing rough ground, sodden by rainfall.
Sloppy muddy puddles, watery bogs,
Otto takes a dive and falls on his face.
Golf course greens like sponges, saturated –
The live forest does not stop for lockdown –
Then home for nursery rhymes and hot tea.
Dan Ferrett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P20/V2298/FUL Land at Yarnells Hill. Erect 3
detached dwellings, including
access and landscaping.
7 September
TDD: 2 Nov
P20/V2326/FUL 15 Raleigh Park Rd. Single storey
side & rear extension and to create
one 1- bed dwelling.
9 September
TDD: 4 Nov
P20/V1546/PDH
Renewal of prior
approval
P16/V2150/PDH
13 Crabtree Rd. Rear extension.
Addition to existing extension to
total depth of 6 metres from main
house all single-storey flat roof with
a parapet.
14 September
Target
Decision Date:
26 October
13
About the library
Good news! By the time you read this, we should have our Library back
again. I thought you might be interested in some of its back story.
What is possibly the first record was unearthed by Liz Peretz in the
1924 Annual Report of Barnett House (in Wellington Square). It
recorded a payment of £1.5s from Old Botley to the Barnett House
Rural Scheme (where villages picked up boxes of books from Barnett
House library at intervals and lent them out usually supervised by the
schoolmistress or the clergy). The scheme, which was started in 1922,
was made possible by substantial grants from the Carnegie United
Kingdom Trust and the Plunkett Trust. It was subsequently adopted by
the County Council in 1926 and formed the basis of the County Library
system. So it looks as though our first library was in this very primitive
form usually about 60 books in a box renewed weekly or monthly
and with some help from the Barnett House librarian – in 1924.
Once the Howse family had moved out of Elms Farmhouse (on the site
of soon-to be-demolished Elms Court), the Library took up residence
there. Jim Chatting, long term resident and former parish councillor,
remembered it like this:
“As far as I remember the farmhouse that housed the library back in the
1950s faced a gravel drive that formed a neat circle round some grass.
You entered the site between the big elm trees that were there at the
time. The library was on the bottom floor on the right as you entered and
the books were on shelves around the room. Being an old farm house
the ceiling was quite low which gave it a rather gloomy appearance. I
can’t remember the name of the librarian (though my lady wife says that
it was Smith). Rather a stern sort of lady, she allowed no noise in it. I
think that some of the children that used the library at that time were a
little afraid of her. I seem to recall that we used that room for Parish
Council meetings in the days when I first joined the Parish council which
was in 1958.”
A long gap follows. During the Sixties a new shopping centre was built
behind Elms Parade, and the library installed in Elms Court. For some
reason now unclear, the Library was obliged to pay business rates, and
this led to problems in the 1990s when the County Council thought to
save money by closing down a swathe of local libraries. Botley united
behind a vigorous campaign to keep our library open. One of the
reasons our own library had been targetted was the high cost of running
14
the building. The campaign was successful, and we breathed again. But
not for long.
Barely ten years later there was another attack from the county council.
A second campaign to Save Botley Library leapt to its defence. A
petition with 3,750 signatures was presented to the County Council
pleading for our Library to
stay open. No fewer than
223 letters were sent
from across the spectrum
of Botley’s community,
questioning the legality of
closing libraries under the
1964 Libraries Act and
pointing out the hardship
for our old and disabled
citizens of travelling to the
city centre to borrow
books and read the
paper. Everybody joined
in, including our MP Nicola Blackwood, our County Councillor Janet
Godden, the public, the schools. Here is a Valentine’s Day photo from
2012 showing Botley School children in the old library:
Our efforts were rewarded in 2012, when we were told that ours would
be one of the 22 libraries in the core group that would be kept as they
were (the rest would have to manage with some input from volunteers).
So welcome back, Botley Library, to your place in a community that fully
appreciates the priceless service you offer... If anyone else would like
to share memories about the library we’ll be happy to print them.
15
Ag MacKeith
Street Tag
A fun, free, smartphone app that offers rewards for exercise.
The County Council has come up with
a cunning plan to get families with
primary-school-age children outside
and active. It’s calledStreet Tag” and
you can sign up and gain points via
your smart phone. What it does is to
covert running, walking and cycling
into a game that gets you Street Tag
points. The app runs in the
background and lets you know when
you are within 40m of a checkpoint, where you can log your progress.
You can build up points whenever you are outside and active parking
not too close to school, for instance, and walking the rest of the way will
get you points.
Points are entered onto a leaderboard, and tallied up. Every 12 weeks
the winners are announced, and they can earn £50 worth of kit for their
school, as well as other goodies. The winners of the first two twelve-
week sessions will be entered for the Street Tag Oxon School Games
Finals in the third session.
In short:
Download the Street Tag app from the Play Store or App
Store. You can add up to two children to your app
Scan the QR code at your primary school
Earn points for your school from physical activities indoor and
outdoor walking, running, cycling by scanning virtual tags
and converting your steps into Street Tag Points
Top the leaderboard to get rewards and the chance to win prizes
from Street Tag, such as Amazon vouchers, gift cards, sports
equipment and lots more
If your school hasn’t signed up, get them to fill in the online form. They’ll
16
find it at the address below.
There’s more to it than thisdetails are on the County Council website.
For all you need to know about how to play, head over to
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/streettag
17
Kennington Memory Club, sadly, had to close its doors in the early
stages of the Covid 19 pandemic to protect its members, their carers,
staff and volunteers. Members lost their chance to enjoy time spent at
the Day Centre held at Kennington Methodist Church, and their Carers
were denied much-needed respite from their responsibilities. The staff
were furloughed and volunteers stood down.
The Trustees of Kennington Memory Club and Helen, the organiser,
(pictured) have been working hard for some time to address all the
measures required to allow a re-opening of the Club. A risk assessment
is now in place, discussions with the Church have been held, and the
procedures necessary to re-open the Club safely are well understood.
In the light of recent increases in Covid 19 cases, regulations on
numbers of people allowed indoors together have been strengthened.
These must be observed, so the Club will be running on lower numbers
to be able to maintain social distancing and ensure the safety of the
members and staff. Now we are eager and all geared up to get going
again, with relevant procedures and protection all in place.
We are pleased to announce that the Club will be re-opening on
Thursday November 12th at 10.00am.
The club will run on Thursdays only for the time being. If new
restrictions are imposed locally, those involved will be contacted
personally and news will be posted on our website and on Kennington
Connected Facebook group. We are looking forward very much to
resuming the Club sessions and the enjoyable activities that the
members love, and carers will be thankful for their window of freedom.
There will be some spaces for new members, and if there is enough
demand, Monday sessions will resume as well. If you would like to know
more about the Club for yourself or anyone else, or to put someone’s
name on the waiting list, please visit the website
(www.kenningtonmemoryclub.org.uk) and contact Helen on 07852
883496. Can’t wait to see you all
again!
Isobel Birse
18
More About Sewage
As everybody knows, Botley lies in the Flood Plain. Between Botley and
Oxford there are five watercourses, including the Thames itself. Another
generally acknowledged fact is that over the last ten years or so, Botley
has been a bit of a building site. One development after another has
gone up from Lime Road to Tilbury Lane, from North Hinksey Lane to
the West Way Centre itself. There is a reason for this.
There had been pressure to develop parts of Botley for many years, but
the existing sewerage system was so inadequate that ‘Grampian
Conditions’ had to be imposed. These required that the system must be
upgraded before any new development could take place. A date was
set: 31st December 2012.
So during 2012 the local sewers were thoroughly explored, investigated,
analysed and refashioned. Particularly problematic were the complex
arrangements at the junction of West Way and Westminster Way, and
the place near North Hinksey School where the pipe had been widened
and flattened to travel under a gas main. 39 tonnes of silt were
removed, 1.7km of new, fatter pipe were installed from Old Botley to the
far end of North Hinksey Village, and a huge holding tank was installed
under the fields at the end of North Hinksey Lane. Once this was
completed, all those latent planning permissions were enacted and
Botley started to expand.
In their comprehensive account of the work that had taken place, the
contractor sounded a word of warning. Understanding the network had
enabled weaknesses to be identified. In particular, the complex junction
at the start of Westminster Way would need regular maintenance. Its
absence would ‘result in premature spilling from the CSO’ there.
A word about CSOs
A CSO is a Combined Sewer Outfall. There are two in Botley, one by
Westminster Way and one in North Hinksey Lane. They are an escape
valve for when a heavy downpour flushes huge quantities of rainwater
into the system threatening to overwhelm it. On Elms Rise, as in most
other places, wastewater from baths and washing machines, etc, flows
away through the foul sewer. So does rainwater from roads and gutters.
As a result the heavy showers that have become almost normal over
the past decade do have the potential to overwhelm the sewers. When
this happens, the CSO valve opens and the mixture of sewage and
water is flushed into the Seacourt Stream.
19
Spills OK
The Environment Agency responded to the Parish Council’s complaint
about sewage floating in the Stream with a long letter that was intended
to be reassuring. There weren’t really a lot of spills, they said – ‘only’ 17
spills in 2019 (70 hours’ worth of discharge) from the West Way CSO,
and ‘only’ 12 from North Hinksey lane (84 hours!) so 154 hours’ worth
altogether. But refer back to the 25-page document referenced by the
EA, to find out what constitutes ‘a spill’ and you will learn that the term
covers as many as may happen in a 12-hour period. They count
together as one ‘spill’, but if the last one continues into the next 12-hour
period that counts as two spills.
Another worrying aspect to emerge from this document was the way our
watercourses were rated for ‘amenity value’. This ranged from ‘High’ to
‘None’. High was a watercourse running through a public park, used for
water sports like canoeing, etc, that might involve falling in. ‘Moderate’
were rivers with well-used footpaths, passing though a city centre, etc;
‘Low’ were rivers and streams in the country-side, passing under rural
road bridges, etc; and ‘None’ were rivers and streams in places seldom
or never used by people. But rivers are more than an ‘amenity’ to us
humans. They are important in themselves as home to all kinds of water
dwellers, and it is our job to look after them. Or at least, not to wreck
them.
Spills not OK
This was certainly the opinion of the many respondents who, like me,
had googled ‘Combined Sewer Overflows’ and found it explained on the
Environment Agency’s website. The explanation had been prompted by
a July article in the Guardian claiming that untreated human waste had
been released into rivers for a total of 1.5 million hours during 2019. The
Environment Agency protested that they were monitoring what was
going on, and prosecuting where there were flagrant breaches of the
law – four prosecutions during 2019 had resulted in fines totalling nearly
£1,300,000. But it is clear that the system is inadequate, and the water
companies are paying themselves and their shareholders before
making sure the system is fit for purpose. The Sprout over the years has
published many tales of children learning to swim and fishing in the
Seacourt Stream, and there are those who remember when the
Windrush and the Evenlode were as pretty as their names. One thing
that emerged from the EA document was that they really notice
complaints. A high level of complaints does provoke a response, so it is
worth making a fuss.
20
What can we do?
Well, we could think of ways of catching the rainwater that falls off our
roofs, collecting it in rainwater butts, or tanks for re-use. We should also
remember that wet-wipes are responsible for a whacking 90% of sewer
blockages, and make sure that we don’t add to these. Building regs now
require new developments to show they have ways of dealing with the
rain off their roofs that doesn’t involve the sewerage system, so
hopefully we aren’t adding fresh burdens every time we put up a house.
It would be so much better if the building regs were revised to ensure
that water used by a household was rerouted from baths and washing
machines to toilets before it was flushed away – hopefully that will come
before too long.
Waterblitz and wild swimming
Then there is the annual EarthWatch Waterblitz. The data from this
year’s citizens’ survey, which took place at the end of September,
suggests that most waterways in the Thames catchment have medium
or high nutrient concentrations, with just a few low measurements
between Oxford and London. 432 local samples were taken by 276
people. Just 22% of all the sites visited this year had been monitored
before. As it is, of that 22%, nitrate status had changed in 44% and
phosphate status had changed in 62% of sites. I think we can safely
assume the levels had gone up, not down! We need data gathered year
on year to build up a picture of the problems and work out how to deal
with them. The survey takes place once a year, and is easy and fun to
do. Any one can do it. Info on https://earthwatch.org.uk/waterblitz.
The Covid lockdown, when the weather was so lovely, led to a lot of wild
swimming, which in turn led to a better understanding of the parlous
state of Oxfordshire’s rivers. A campaign has been started to get a
stretch of the Thames designated safe for bathing (currently no UK
rivers have this status). The City Council has welcomed it, the
Environment Agency has welcomed it, and so has Defra. We have yet
to hear from Thames Water. Of course the effect would be far reaching
on all the little rivers and streams that flow into the Thames, of which the
Seacourt is one, so it’s a campaign worth supporting for all sorts of
reasons, not just swimming in Port Meadow and Tumbling Bay.
Ag MacKeith
P.S. If you would like references for any of the documents referred to in
this article, just email editor@thesprout.org.uk.
21
Randoms
Looking at loneliness
As part of some research at the University of Oxford, we are looking for
some participants aged 80 years and over to take part in a 1--2 hour
telephone call to complete some questionnaires. These will include
questions about social relationships, mood, and physical health. To take
part, you must be 80 years old or over, read and speak English, and
have an Oxfordshire postcode. We are interested both in people who
experience loneliness and also in those who do not.
Please contact me to find out more, either by phone on 07340 201452
or by email: jessica.hilton@hmc.ox.ac.uk
Police Updates
For those who are wondering what has happened to the Police
Updates, perhaps we should explain that they now come from
Abingdon, and are almost entirely concerned with what is happening
there. When there is something about Botley, we put it in, otherwise,
not. We do note, however, from their latest reports, that in Abingdon at
least, their patrols are often out and about, checking up on reports of
dangerous parking, of signs of drug dealing and bad behaviour around
schools and in quieter places. So if we have problems in this regard, we
know who to call. There are no face-to-face Have Your Say meetings at
the moment, but you can contact them by any of the following methods:
Phone: 101 Email AbingdonNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk Twitter:
@tvpsouthandvale Facebook: www.facebook.com/tvpsouthandvale
(Always phone 999 in an emergency)
Good news about West Way parking
I’m very pleased to be able to bring some good news today!
Henceforward, parking will be free
between 6pm and midnight from
Monday to Sunday. This is great
news for Seacourt Hall. It means
that our users in the evening will
get free parking! It’s will also help
the centre’s evening economy
when we finally get some
restaurants in West Way Square.
22
Lorna Berrett
23
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details to
editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Jean Metson,
firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison
Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk
Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley
Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)
07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Baby & Toddler Group Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Badminton Club
Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark 0777
3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8 weeks.
Contact via website B4044path.org
Books on Wheels R.V.S. Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan
Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Community Larder
Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at St P&P Church Hall, West Way,
contact us via Facebook or email botleylarder@gmail.com
Botley Health Walks
Wednesday 9.30am. Contact Briony on Ox 246497
Botley Library
01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865
241539 or Jackie Warner 01865 721386
Botley Singers
Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela Astley-
Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com
Cumnor Choral Society
Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142
or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett 862788
www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old School.
01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865 721026
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235 831352
or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call
863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Let’s Sing! – singing group Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email
emformusic@outlook.com
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
24
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
N Hinksey Art Group Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr 07798743121
voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council Sharon Henley, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Weds at LM pavilion, Daz on 07791 212866 or see F’book
Oxford Flood Alliance R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging Club 4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259
Oxford Harmony Men's Acap-
pella singing group
Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall, Contact
pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice
monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis
Club, N Hinksey
Family club: Melanie Riste 848658
melanie_riste@hotmail.com
Raleigh Park, Friends of raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk
Saturdads at
Botley Bridges
Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s
10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Michael Cockman 07766 317691
michael.cockman@gmail.com.
Shotokan Karate Club 6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Walking for Health
2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.50 Louie Memorial Field car park,
Arnolds Way. Alan 07941 610913
West Oxford Bowls Club Contact details on www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk
West Oxford Taekwon Do Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall 01865
570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A (Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Women’s Institute (Botley) Liz Manson, 244175 or liz.manson@virginmedia.com
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso tel:
07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
25
26
The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Dir e c t o r s: J a n e t Bart l a m , Judi B o l d er, John C l e m e n ts,
Mich a e l Coc k m a n , Ag M a c Keith, R o b in Pa l m e r
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
Advertising Manager
Michael Cockman
50, St Paul's Crescent OX2 9AG Tel: 07766 317691 Adverts@TheSprout.org.uk
Del i v e r i es
Bhee Bellew and Robin Cox
15 Seacourt Road, OX2 9LD Tel: 790648 Deliveries@TheSprout.org.uk
Copy Date: Copy by 15th of month preceding publication. Earlier submission is
welcome. Later contributions may have to be held over to the next issue.
Advertisements: If you have print-ready advertisements in the correct format the
last day for booking advertising is the 10th of the month preceding publication; in all
other circumstances more advance notice will be needed. For details about exact
sizes, quality requirements, advice on text and help with production, please contact
the Advertising Manager.
Advertising rates:
½ page: 1 issue £56; 3 issues £135; 5 issues £182; 10 issues; £308
¼ page: 1 issue £28; 3 issues £67.50; 5 issues £91; 10 issues; £154
1/8 page: 1 issue £14; 3 issues £33.75; 5 issues £45.50; 10 issues; £77
Subscriptions: If you live outside North Hinksey Parish you can still receive The
Sprout on a regular basis. Just take out a postal subscription only £12 per annum,
delivered to your door. Contact: Carol Kramer 01865 243002.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this
newsletter, mistakes may happen. The Editor and Team apologize unreservedly for
any errors that may occur and will do their best to correct them. This publication is not
a vehicle of the parish council, and parish councillors working with the Sprout do so in
a personal capacity. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual
contributors.
All concerned in the production and delivery of The Sprout are unpaid volunteers.
The S p r out i s p r inted b y Dat a p r i nt Lt d , a nd pu b l i s hed b y N o rth
Hin k s e y Paris h P u blica t i o n s L t d , (a c o m p a n y li m i t e d by
gua r a n t e e) R e g i strat i o n No. 0 5 6 0 9 5 35 .
It c a n a lso b e foun d o n line a t B otley H i n k sey.o rg.u k
Halls for Hire
Bot l e y B aptis t H a l l
We s t Way P l a c e
Cont a c t : Rev K a l y an Da s
Tel. 0 7 8 4 1 8679 6 7
The R o s a ry Ro o m
Ya r n e l ls Hi l l , Elms R i s e
Cont a c t Maria B r o w n,
Tel: 0 1 8 6 5 2479 8 6 .
SS P e t e r & P a u l C hurch
Hal l , Wes t Wa y, Botl e y
Cont a c t : 07 9 4 6 463 7 4 1 o r
osn e y b e n efice @ o u t look . c o m .
Wo m e n's I n s t itute H a l l ,
Nor t h H i nksey L a n e
Cont a c t : Val Warn e r
Tel. 0 1 8 6 5 2452 7 3
Sea c o u r t Ha l l , Wes t
Wa y P l a c e , Bot l e y
Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,
or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk
Pav i l i o n, A r n o lds Wa y,
Elm s R i s e, Bo t l e y
Cont a c t : Darr e n B l ase 2 4 1 2 5 4
louiememorialpavilion@gmail.com
Oxf o r d R u g b y Club,
Nor t h H i nksey Vill a g e
Contact:. Mary Bagnall
mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.
North Hinksey & Botley Churches
Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts
St. L a w rence, Churc h o f Engl a n d , North H i n ksey L a n e
1st, 3rd Sunday, Holy Communion 11. 30 a . m .
2nd , 4 t h Su n d a y, Mor n i n g Praye r ( B C P) 11. 30 a . m .
Thu r s d a y s , M o r n ing Pr a y e r 9. 0 0 a.m.
St. P e t e r and St. P a u l , Chu r c h o f En g l a n d , West Wa y
Sundays, Holy Communion 9.30 a.m.
Wednesdays, Holy Communion 10.30 a.m.
Fridays, Morning Prayer 9.00 a.m.
(Revd Clare Sykes is on sabbatical; any queries to the office
07946 463741, osneybenefice@outlook.com
Our L a d y of t h e Ros a r y C hurch , R o man C a t h o lic , Yar n e l l s H i l l
Sat u r d a y 6.3 0 pm. M a s s
Sun d a y 9.1 5 am Ma s s
Fr D a n i e l L l o y d . 0758 4 3 2 3915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Bot l e y B aptis t Chur c h , West Wa y Place
Sun d a y Ser v i c e 10. 3 0 am.
Mid Week H o use G r o u p 8.00 p .m.
Fam i l y Wo r s h i p S e r v i c e 5-6p m on S a t u r d ay
Rev K a l y an D a s 07841 8 6 7 967 w ww. bot l e y bapti s t c h urch.o r g
Cal v a r y Ch a p e l
Sun d a y serv i c e s held a t B otley S c h o ol 1 0 . 3012 n o o n
Pas t o r P hilip Vi c k e r y 018 6 5 8 64498
calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk; www.calvarychapeloxford.org.uk
27
Sprout
October 2020
Still too few public gatherings for a diary,
but don’t forget the Last Post will be sounded at 11am
on Wednesday 11th November in West Way Square, followed by a
two-minute silence in honour of
those who have died in wars.
Some useful phone numbers
See North Hinksey Parish Council website for a comprehensive list of all
the local support groups currently in operation, as well as advice on
asking for help and looking to volunteer. It’s at https://northhinksey-
pc.gov.uk/covid-19-community-hub/ If you have something to add, please
email the website manager Councillor Lorna Berrett
on lberrett.nhpc@gmail.com. All your local parish councillors’ contact
details are on the website too, so if you need help, you can ask any of
them and they will rally round.
Church contact details are on the inside back cover.
Oxford Hub’s email is: hello@oxfordtogether.org
Phone: 07957 105129 (9-5pm Mon-Fri)
Citizens Advice Adviceline on 0300 3309 042
Woodlands Pharmacy: 01865 242649
Lloyds Pharmacy: 01865 247023
Age UK Oxfordshire offers a new telephone support line for older people.
You leave a message on 01865 411288 and they will call you back.
Nextdoor North Hinksey is a local chatroom full of help and advice.
Anyone already on it can invite you to join, or contact the Sprout.
Finally, two handy Facebook pages:
The Botley Notice Board (OXON)
and Oxford Covid-19 Mutual Aid group
28